Radioactive vacuum tube



Sept. 4, 1923. I 1,466??? 1.. WINKELMANN RADIOACTIVE VACUUM TUBE FiledSent. 6 1921 avweuboz Zouzs l l z'nkelma/rm,

Patented Sept. 4, 1923. v

UNITED STATES LOUIS WINKELMANN, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

RADIOACTIVE VACUUM TUBE.

Application filed September 6, 1921.

T 0 all 101107711 it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS VINKELMANN, a citizen of the United States,and residing at Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersehave invented certain new and useful Ra ioactive Vacuum Tubes, of whichthe following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the. same.

This invention relates to the treatment of what are known as diseases ofthe blood or circulatory systems, such as cancers, tumors, ulceration ofthe stomach and similar diseases, including what are known as skincancers and rodent ulcers deep-seated or otherwise, .or any otherdisease originating through or by reason of poisonous or deleterioussubstances in or carried by the blood.

Diseases of the class specified may occur in any part of the system orbody, including the skin, and the result thereof will depend on themethod of treatment and when such treatment is begun.

It is a wellknown fact that the growth or development of the blooddeposits, above referred to, or the diseases resulting therefrom,whatever they may be, may in some cases begin soon after the deposit ordeposits have been made, but in other cases the said deposits may beenclosed by a fleshy or fibrous growth in the manner of an ordinarycyst, in which event the growth of development of the disease may becarried on for a number of years, before the disease will assume amalignant type if at all; and this is usually the result in the case ofdeepseated rodent and certain other forms of ulcers, and also what isknown as skin cancers or ulcers.

The object of this invention, or one of its objects, is to break up,k1ll or destroy the said poisonous or deleterious substances eitherwhile they are in the blood, or after the deposits herein referred tohave been made, or after the growth or development of the disease hasbegun, and to cause the dead material thus produced to be carried awayby the blood and other circulatory agencies involved in the circulatorysystem, and discharged or eliminated from the body in the manner ofother substances of this class, by natural processes, and thus permitthe healing of the afiliction or afliictions by natural processes.

Serial N0. 498,877.

The means or apparatus which I employ involves a vacuum tube or bulb ofany desired form, which may be constructed in the manner of an ordinarycrooks tube or in any known way, and in reducing my invention topractical form, I place in or fill said tube with a broken u or finelydivided or granulated ore or ores containing a radioactive substance orsubstances, such as radium. thorium, uranium, phosphorous, pitchblende,or the like, which ores may be obtained at a comparatively small cost.The tube or bulb is also provided with a terminal electric pole or polesby 'means of which an electric circuit wire or wires may be connectedtherewith, and by means of which an electric current may be directedinto said tube or bulb and into the material therein, or into andthrough said tube or bulb and into and through said material, and theelectric terminal or terminals, or poleor poles are preferably made ofplatinum, aluminum, tungsten or the like and in practice, the electriccurrent passed into said tube or bulb and the material therein, orthrough said tube or bulb and the material therein is preferably of highvoltage, and in this operation the tube or bulb and the material thereinis heated to such an extent as to produce a fluorescent or luminouseffect or appearance which causes said tube or bulb to give oflemanations or rays.

The anode pole or poles will produce what are known as alpha or electricpositive rays, while the cathode pole will produce what are known atbeta or electric negative rays, and these rays neutralize each other andform ether waves, called gamma rays, or neutral rays, which pass out ofthe tube or bulb in the form of emanations, or emanation rays, whichhave a-beautiful green and luminous color and possess great powers ofpenetration, exceediu", in fact, the penetratmg powers of the lx-ray,but said emanations or electric gamma rays are harmless. and may beused, if desired, to produce clear radiograph pictures.

The emanations or electric gamma rays are composed of myriads ofinfinitesimally small neutral ions which have the peculiar faculty ofpassing through all substances, including insulating material such asrubber, glass or the like, and these emanations or rays will pass intothe human body and the said emanations or rays are also purificatoantiseptic and germicidal, while being a so agood tissue builder andpossessing wonderful healing power.

The characteristics of these emanations or rays may be enumerated asfollows They will effect photographic plates, pro: duce phosphorescencein certain substances, cause the surrounding air to become a conductorof electricity and will also produce heat, and said rays or emanationsare being constantly produced when the apparatus 15 in operation.

The glass tubes or bulbs hereinbefore referred to may be made ofdifferent elements, and of. different shapes or forms to adapt them tospecific uses, and the details or my invention are fully disclosed inthe following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms apart, in which drawing the separate parts of the devlce or apparatuswhich I employ are designated by suitable reference characters in eachof the views, and in which Figs 1 and 2 are side views partially orwholly ,in section and showing different forms of devices, tubes orbulbs which I may employ in the treatment of the various diseaseshereinbefore specified, according to my improved method or methods.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing I have shown at a a vacuum tube or bulb which,in the construction shown, is cylindrical and oblong in form, andmounted in the end portions thereof and passing thereinto are electricpoles or terminals 6 and 0, anode and cathode, formed and connected withthe ends of the tube a in the usual or any desired manner and consistingof any suitable material, preferably aluminum, tungsten or the like, andwith the outer ends of these poles or terminals are connected electriccircuit wires d and e, positive and negative. The electric tube or bulba is also filled with a finely divided ore 0r ores f containingradio-active substances, such as radium, thorium, uranium, phosphorus,pitchblende or the like, which ores may be obtained at a comparativelysmall cost, and the passage of an electric current into said tube orbulb and. the material therein, or into and through said tube or bulband the material therein, will raise said tube or bulb and the materialtherein to a fluorescent or luminous condition and cause said tube orbulb to give ofi' emanations or rays, as hereinbefore set out. Y

The anode pole will produce what are known as alpha or electric POSltlXBrays. while the cathode pole will produce what are known as beta orelectric negative rays, and these rays neutralize each other and formether waves, called gamma rays or neutral electric rays, which pass outof the bulb as emanation or emanations,called gamma rays, and theseemanations or rays have a beautiful green and luminous color and possessgreat powers of penetration, exceeding, in fact, the penetrating powersof the X-ray, as hereinbefore set out, but said gamma ray or rays areharmless.

The emanations or electric gamma rays are, as hereinbefore stated,harmless and may be used in producing radiograph pictures equal to, orsuperior to X-raypictures, and in using the form of device shown in Fig.1, the ends of the tube or bulb are or,

may be grasped by the hands of the patient and applied do any part ofthe body and the emanations of rays produced, as described, will passinto the body and through the entire system.

The form of 1 is intended for use in cases where the exact location ofthe disease or trouble is not understood, or known, but the device shownat g inv Fig. 2 of the drawing is intended for use in the case of allskin diseases of the class specified, or wherethe disease is locatednected with the handle member {1 is preferably conical in form' as shownat g, and the opposite end of said bulb, in the con struction shown, isplain and at right" angles to the side walls of the bulb as shown at g".The bulb g contains, or is filled with a finely divided radio-active oreor ores, or an ore or ores containing a radio-active substance orsubstances 9 the same as when the tube or bulb shown in Fig. 1 isemployed, and mounted in the conical end portion ofthe bulb 9* is anelectric terminal 9 of any preferred form of construction and with theouter end of which is connected electric cir-- cuit wires h and 72, andwhen an electric current is passed into the terminal 9 the material inthe bulb and said bulb Will' be raised or heated and raised to aluminous or fluorescent condition, and said bulb will give offemanations or rays similar to those discharged from the tube or bulb a.In the use of the form of device shown in Fig. 2, said device may betaken in hand by the patient, or by an operator, and the end 9 of thebulb g is applied directly to the afflicted part, or directly over theafliicted part and may be gently moved thcreover, and the time involvedin this operation will be determined by the operator or expert, andthe'end of the bulb gmay be given any desired vt'orm, shape orconfiguration so as tube or bulb shown in. Fig,

to adapt it to any particular use, or adapt it for use in connectionwith any particular part of the body, and even the side walls of thebulb y may be used as well as the end 9 thereof.

It must be understood that my invention is not limited to any particularform of vacuum tube or bulb, or to any particular method or process ofl-naking the same, nor is my invention limited to any particular ore orores containing a radio-active substance or substances, and any ore orores of this class may be employed in the making of a tube or bulb ofany class capable of producing the results herein set out, or foraccomplishing the object or objects of my invention, the use of the oreor ores specified, or any material containing a radio-active substanceeapable of radio-active action in the making of, or in the use of a tubeor bulb device for the purpose herein set out constituting one of thechief features of my invention.

It must also be understood that while 1' have in the preceding part ofthis specification referred to ores containing radio-active substances,such as radium, thorium, uranium, phosphorus, pitch-blende or the like,that some of the substances named or indicated, such as phosphorus,pitch-blende and perhaps others are frequently found or may be obtainedin almost a state of purity and in this event such substances in theirnatural state might or may be used for any of the purposes herein setout.

It will be understood that while I have described a specific use of myvacuum tube 01' bulb and have shown and described specific forms oftubes or bulbs of the class under consideration, that my invention isnot limited in these respects and various changes in and modificationsof the construction herein shown and described may be made within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of 'myinvention or sacrificing its advantages.

Havinw fully described my invention, what I c aim as newand desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1'. The combination with a vacuum element containing electricalterminals, of a radio-active substance.

2. The combination with a vacuum element containing an electrode orelectrodes,

of a radio-active substance.

3. The combination with a vacuum element containing an electrode orelectrodes, of a radio-active substance, said substance surrounding andenclosing said electrodes.

4. In a device of the class described a vacuum tube containing anelectric terminal 'or terminals and the ore of a radio-active substancesurrounding said terminalor terminals.

7. An article of manufacture of the class.

described comprising a vacuum tube containing the ore or ores of aradio-active substance or substances, and means for directing anelectric current into and through said tube to the material therein.

8. An article of manufacture of the class described for use in thetreatment of blood or circulatory diseases comprising a vacuum tube, aradio-active ore in said tube, and means for introducing an electriccurrent into said tube and the ore therein, to raise said ore to afluorescent or luminous condition to discharge emanations or rays fromsaid tube.

9. An article of manufacture of the class described for use in thetreatment of blood or circulatory diseases comprising a vacuum tubecontaining a finely divided ore or ores of a radio-active substance orsubstances, means for passing an electric current into said tube and thesubstance or substances therein to raise the same to a fluorescent orluminous condition, whereby predetermined embzgnations or rays aredischarged Etrom said tu I 10. An article of manufacture of the classdescribed for use in the treatment of blood or circulatory diseasescomprising a vacuum tube, means for passing an electric current intosaid tube and a radio-active substance enclosing said first named meansand adapted to be raised to a fluorescent orluminous condition by theelectric current in said tube to discharge from said tube predeterminedemanations or rays.

11. An article of manufacture of the class described for use in thetreatment of blood or circulatory diseases com rising a vacuum, anelectrode or electr es in said tube and a radio-active substancesurrounding said electrode or electrodes.

12. An article of manufacture of the class described for use in thetreatment of blood or circulatory diseases compris' a tube, an electrodeor electrodes in said tu and a radio-active substance in said tube andsurroundin said electrode or electrodes.

13. The herein described method of producing redetermined emanations orrays for use 1n the treatment of blood or circulatory diseases whichconsists in providing a radio-active substance and raising saidsubstance to a fluorescent or luminous condition by subjecting the sameto an electrode or electrodes.

5 14. The herein described method of pro-.

ducing predetermined emanations or rays for use in the treatment ofblood or circulatory diseases, which consists in subjecting the finelydivided ore of aradio-active substance to an electrode or electrodessurrounded by said substance to raise said substance to a fluorescent orluminous condition. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnessesthis ll 29th day of Au ust 1921.

UIS WINKELMANN.

\Vitnesses C. E. MULREANY, H. E. THOMPSON.

